News & Media

Our obligation to the people of Afghanistan

September 16, 2021

In an open letter to the minister of foreign affairs (see below), more than 60 civil society organisations and leading individuals call with one voice for the government to increase its efforts when it comes to the crisis in Afghanistan. The call comes as needs grow by the hour, and risks to those on the ground continue to escalate.

The UN Flash appeal on Monday September 13 called for US$600 million to support approximately 11 million people to the end of the year. On Friday last week there was a commitment to $3 million in humanitarian assistance, further to an initial $3 million announced on August 20. The commitment is welcome, however, when it came to the Asian tsunami, New Zealand gave $60 million in new and extra aid.

Governments around the world have stepped up, both in giving as well as preparing pathways of settlement for the thousands in need of safe refuge. Sadly, New Zealand is not among the leaders when it comes to international efforts. Beyond the initial strict evacuation criteria, there has been no concrete commitment to support those fleeing the country in need of refuge. There has been no concrete commitment to support evacuation and resettlement of the family members of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Afghan community. In fact, despite the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, it was not considered a priority to expedite visa applications of Afghan family members already in the system.

It is not yet too late for us to “up our game”, and the situation certainly requires it.

Our ask is simple: we say the government must become a leader of international efforts. We need more action on aid and pathways of resettlement. We call for concrete measures to enact the prime minister’s commitment “to reassure Afghan women and girls that we will closely follow the developments in their country, listen to their voices, and continue to support their rights and opportunities”. We also ask that the government drive agreement in the international community to ensure there is accountability, that the crimes and human rights violations across Afghanistan will not go undocumented and unnoticed, and the rights and protections of each individual will be robustly fought for.

Open letter to Nanaia Mahuta, minister of foreign affairs

Tēnā koe Minister Mahuta,

We write to you as a collective voice of organisations and individuals in Aotearoa advocating for the rights and protection of Afghan nationals. We welcome the statements New Zealand has made at the United Nations and the efforts taken to evacuate people. However, more action is needed. As a society that values compassion and kindness, we need to ensure that our response meets the scale of the crisis.

The needs in Afghanistan are growing by the hour. Right now, there are compounding crises taking place, including hunger, displacement, conflict and Covid-19. Basic services are collapsing, and aid is running out. There are ongoing reports of gross human rights abuses. Women, children and those who have worked to promote human rights, democracy and education are among the people most at risk. Urgent action is needed to prevent an even greater humanitarian disaster and to ensure that every individual has their rights and dignity upheld.

We are concerned that, alongside causing anguish, delays in government action and decisions increase risk of harm to those who need aid from, or safe resettlement to, New Zealand. We collectively call on the government to:

1. Urgently increase humanitarian and development support. The government must:

At least double aid to Afghanistan to support local organisations; and
Increase humanitarian aid to surrounding countries that are taking in refugees.

2. Establish and ensure safe pathways of relocation and resettlement for Afghan nationals to New Zealand.

Over 21,000 people across Aotearoa have come together to call on the government to take action to help people fleeing Afghanistan. We implore the government to:

Evacuate the remaining people in Afghanistan left from the initial mission, and include at-risk individuals connected to New Zealand in these efforts;
Welcome at least 1,500 Afghan refugees in this year’s (July 1 2021-June 30 2022) current refugee intake, over and above the current refugee resettlement quota commitments, for those at most immediate risk or with connections to Aotearoa;
Expedite visa processing of both the refugee family support category (RFSC) visas and critical purpose visitor visas;
Create or re-establish additional humanitarian pathways to support the reunification of families of Afghan New Zealanders not already lodged with RFSC; and
Utilise and expand the community sponsorship scheme to create more viable routes for people to come to New Zealand.

3. Establish formal mechanisms to liaise and consult meaningfully with the Afghan community here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

It is essential that the government increases its efforts to listen to, support and provide relief to New Zealand’s Afghan community. We stand with the 6,000 Afghan New Zealanders, many who worry for the safety of their families and neighbours.

4. Lead international efforts. The government must:

Take concrete measures to enact the prime minister’s commitment “to reassure Afghan women and girls that we will closely follow the developments in their country, listen to their voices, and continue to support their rights and opportunities”.
Drive agreement in the international community to establish a robust investigative mechanism – with a mandate to document, collect and preserve evidence of ongoing crimes and human rights violations across Afghanistan.

Your government is perceived to be one that practises kindness and is committed to collective action for the betterment of humanity, yet other countries have taken significant steps to address the need for international support and assistance, while New Zealand has not. Canada has announced the resettlement of up to 20,000 vulnerable Afghan nationals and the UK has committed to accepting 20,000 Afghan refugees. The US is expected to admit 50,000 Afghan refugees and has set aside a US$500 million fund that will help meet urgent migration needs. European countries and our Australian neighbours are also taking steps. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is seeking US$606 million to assist nearly 11 million people during the four remaining months of this year. What is required is an international collaborative effort.

The New Zealand government spent 20 years and hundreds of millions of dollars in military expenditure as part of the international intervention in Afghanistan. We have an obligation to the people of Afghanistan to stand by them now. Be it the provision of aid, or safe pathways to New Zealand, the time for response is immediate and the cost of inaction is high.

We now call on you to do more.

We look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Yours sincerely,

ActionStation
Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand
Anglican Missions
Aotearoa Resettled Community Coalition (ARCC)
Asylum Support Seekers Trust (ASST)
Belong Aotearoa
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
ChildFund
Christian Churches New Zealand
Christian World Service
Community Law Centres O Aotearoa
Congregational Union of New Zealand
Council for International Development
ECPAT NZ
Fairtrade ANZ
Hagar
Hazara Afghan Youth Association (HAYA)
Hazara Association of New Zealand
Methodist Church of New Zealand
NZBMS (New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society)
Oxfam Aotearoa
ReliefAid
Save the Children
Tearfund
The Gender Justice Collective
The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago
Tutapona International
UN Women Aotearoa New Zealand
United Afghan Association of Canterbury
Vineyard Churches Aotearoa New Zealand
Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand
World Vision New Zealand
Alberto Costi, professor, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Amin Vakili, Civil Society Activist and members of the Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
Archbishop Don Tamihere, te pihopa o Aotearoa
Archbishop Philip Richardson, bishop of Waikato and Taranaki
Associate professor Bethan Greener PhD, Massey
Blake Dawson, barrister (Brandon Street Chambers)
Bridget Crichton (Fa’amatuainu), lecturer, AUT School of Law
Carol Peters, PhD, QSM, Whangarei district councillor
Dr Arif Ali, Hazara Association of New Zealand and Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington.
Dr Charles Mpofu, senior lecturer
Dr Marnie Lloydd, lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Natalia Szablewska, international human rights and humanitarian law expert, Auckland University of Technology
Dr Heather Devere, director of practice, Te Ao o Rongmaraeroa/National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies
Eleanor Holroyd, co-director AUT Centre of Migrant and Refugee Research
James Meager, public law solicitor
Jane Verbitsky, associate professor
Javid Nazari, president of Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
John McBride, Barrister
Marianne Elliott, human rights advocate
Mohammad Raqiz Nabizadah, member of Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
Monique van Alphen Fyfe, barrister | Rōia Tūtahi (Stout Street Chambers)
Natalie Baird, associate professor, Faculty of Law | Te Kaupeka Ture, University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
Nicola Muir, author
Paul Rishworth QC
Right Reverend Fakaofo Kaio, moderator, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ
Shakerah Zakeri, member of the Afghan community
Sulaiman Sarwary, PHD student and member of Aotearoa’s Afghan Community
Wendy Aldred, barrister (Stout Street Chambers)

Group of sixty-one organisations, individuals and community members call for urgent action for Afghanistan

September 16, 2021

An open letter to Hon Nanaia Mahuta, Minister of Foreign Affairs was submitted today with signatures from 61 organisations, individuals and Afghan community members calling for urgent action for Afghanistan. In the open letter, the group expresses their concern about the delay in Government action:

“The needs in Afghanistan are growing by the hour. Right now, there are compounding crises taking place, including hunger, displacement, conflict, and Covid-19. Basic services are collapsing, and aid is running out. There are ongoing reports of gross human rights abuses. Women, children, and those who have worked to promote human rights, democracy and education, are amongst the people most at risk. Urgent action is needed to prevent an even greater humanitarian disaster and to ensure that every individual has their rights and dignity upheld.”

Canada has announced the resettlement of up to 20,000 vulnerable Afghan nationals; the UK committed to accepting 20,000 Afghan refugees; the US is expected to admit 50,000 Afghan refugees and has set aside a US$500 million fund which will help meet urgent migration needs; European countries and our Australian neighbours are also taking steps. However, New Zealand has made no such commitments yet. The letter urges the Government to take action, saying:

“Your Government is perceived to be one that practices kindness and is committed to collective action for the betterment of humanity, yet other countries have taken significant steps to address the need for international support and assistance, while New Zealand has not.”

“The New Zealand Government spent 20 years and hundreds of millions of dollars in military expenditure as part of the international intervention in Afghanistan. We have an obligation to the people of Afghanistan to stand by them now. Be it the provision of aid, or safe pathways to New Zealand, the time for response is immediate and the cost of inaction is high.”

Read the open letter here, which includes signatures from the following:

Organisations

ActionStation
Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand
Anglican Missions
Aotearoa Resettled Community Coalition (ARCC)
Asylum Support Seekers Trust (ASST)
Belong Aotearoa
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
ChildFund
Christian Churches New Zealand
Christian World Service
Community Law Centres O Aotearoa
Congregational Union of New Zealand
Council for International Development
ECPAT NZ
Fairtrade ANZ
Hagar
Hazara Afghan Youth Association (HAYA)
Hazara Association of New Zealand
Methodist Church of New Zealand
NZBMS (New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society)
Oxfam Aotearoa
ReliefAid
Save the Children
Tearfund
The Gender Justice Collective
The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago
Tutapona International
UN Women Aotearoa New Zealand
United Afghan Association of Canterbury
Vineyard Churches Aotearoa New Zealand
Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand
World Vision New Zealand

Individuals

Alberto Costi, Professor, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Amin Vakili, Civil Society Activist and members of the Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
Archbishop Don Tamihere. Te Pihopa o Aotearoa
Archbishop Philip Richardson, Bishop of Waikato and Taranaki
Associate Professor Bethan Greener PhD, Massey
Blake Dawson, Barrister (Brandon Street Chambers)
Bridget Crichton (Fa’amatuainu), Lecturer, AUT School of Law
Carol Peters, PhD, QSM, Whangarei District Councillor
Dr Arif Ali, Hazara Association of New Zealand and Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington.
Dr Charles Mpofu; Senior Lecturer
Dr Marnie Lloydd, Lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Natalia Szablewska, International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Expert, Auckland University of Technology
Dr. Heather Devere, Director of Practice, Te Ao o Rongmaraeroa/National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies
Eleanor Holroyd Co-Director AUT Centre of Migrant and Refugee Research
James Meager, Public Law Solicitor
Jane Verbitsky Associate Professor
Javid Nazari, President of Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
John McBride, Barrister
Marianne Elliott, Human Rights Advocate
Mohammad Raqiz Nabizadah, member of Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
Monique van Alphen Fyfe, Barrister | Rōia Tūtahi (Stout Street Chambers)
Natalie Baird, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law | Te Kaupeka Ture, University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
Nicola Muir, Author
Paul Rishworth QC
Right Reverend Fakaofo Kaio – Moderator Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ
Shakerah Zakeri, member of the Afghan community
Sulaiman Sarwary, PHD student and member of Aotearoa’s Afghan Community
Wendy Aldred, Barrister (Stout Street Chambers)

A broken asylum system: one unwilling and unable to welcome Afghan refugees

September 10, 2021

While European leaders express their concern for the safety of people in Afghanistan, little concern is given to those Afghans seeking safety in Europe. A new Greek ministerial decision to stop Afghans, amongst other nationalities, from entering Europe, and dire living conditions in “Moria 2” highlights this lack of concern, as criticised in the latest edition of the Lesbos bulletin by the Greek Council for Refugees and Oxfam.

In the Mavrovouni site on Lesbos, known as “Moria 2”, Afghans make up 63% of the population. In June, the Greek government decided that Afghans, along with Syrians, Somalians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis, could be returned to Turkey even if they are refugees. On 16 August, the day following the fall of Kabul, the Greek Migration Minister, Notis Mitarachi, said that “Greece may not become a gate of entrance” for Afghans. This contradicts existing obligations to welcome those seeking safety.

Vasilis Papastergiou, Legal expert at Greek Council for Refugees said:

“Greece’s decision to ban Afghan refugees, among others, from Europe is immoral. Not only does it fly in the face of international and European law, it prevents people from being able to move on with rebuilding their lives. Through a technical manipulation of their registration, these people are denied the most basic help and are thrown back into turmoil.

“In one case GCR worked on, the Greek authorities refused to look at an Afghan family’s application for asylum. Rather than examining it, as European migration law dictates, they made the unfounded decision that, despite only spending four days in Turkey before entering Greece, the family must be returned. This is notwithstanding the fact that Turkey is refusing returns from Greece since 2020 which means this family is now stuck in Lesbos.

“This is not an isolated case. Hundreds of people in ‘Moria 2’ are now in limbo while asylum seekers are used as political bargaining chips.”

This week also marks a year since the fire that burned down the notorious Moria camp in Lesbos, and the promise of “No More Morias” by EU Commissioner, Ylva Johansson. Yet, for refugees living in the hastily constructed and temporary “Moria 2”, the living conditions are as dire as ever. The European Court for Human Rights has recently said the Greek authorities failed to ensure that the camp lived up to European standards. The heatwaves this summer also highlighted the abysmal living conditions, and the Greek government’s lack of preparation means that, for the sixth year in a row, many people will spend the winter in tents.

The lack of security measures in the camp also puts women at risk. A recent survey showed that single women express their fears around getting water or using the showers and bathrooms after dark. Measures such as installing proper lighting, examining the possibility of building toilets closer to the single women’s section of the camp and upping women security presence would make this temporary camp safer for women.

Erin McKay, Oxfam’s European Migration Campaign Manager said:

“The Greek government has openly said it wants to deter, rather than welcome people. This decision has resulted in people who are seeking safety living in slum-like conditions. How the EU intends to reconcile this reality in Europe with their expressed aim to help people rebuild their lives is unclear.”

Notes:

In June, the Greek authorities decided to designate Turkey as a safe third country for people applying for asylum originating from Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Pakistan or Bangladesh. According to official data, applicants from these five countries represented 65.8% of applicants in 2020.

The European Court for Human Rights recently affirmed on 19 July 2021 that living conditions in Mavrovouni (“Moria 2”) camp continue to fall below EU legal standards.

The survey was conducted by the international organisations and NGOs operating in Lesbos.

Kiwis stand together to ask Government to step-up for Afghanistan

September 9, 2021

The United Nations has called for the international community to stand together for Afghanistan as world leaders meet at a flash appeal on Monday 13 September. Charity groups, local communities and other organisations in Aotearoa have taken the opportunity to call upon the New Zealand government to commit to more humanitarian aid. Executive Director of Oxfam Aotearoa Rachael Le Mesurier says that New Zealand needs to do more to contribute as a global citizen:

“The need is severe. Forty years of war, natural disasters, and now Covid-19 have conspired to push Afghanistan to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. The $3 million of aid the government has recently provided pales in comparison to the hundreds of millions of dollars the New Zealand government spent on the military campaign in Afghanistan over the last two decades.

“We ask the government to commit to $10 million of new humanitarian aid to help people in Afghanistan. The global flash appeal for Afghanistan is asking for more than NZ$840 million to support around 11 million Afghanistan people in crisis, particularly women and girls. New Zealand can and must step-up.”

This week it was reported that even before the Taliban took over the country, the people of Afghanistan were already struggling to feed their families due to drought, loss of crops and soaring food prices. A combination of conflict, Covid-19 and drought could mean that soon millions of Afghans may experience starvation. Women are going hungry to feed their children, as 50 per cent of children under five are facing acute malnutrition and need life-saving treatment.

New Zealand was part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan for the past twenty years. Charity groups, local communities and other organisations say that New Zealand has an obligation to help the Afghan people who remain in their country even though we have left.

Along with Oxfam Aotearoa the following support this ask:

ActionStation
Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
Christian World Service
ChildFund New Zealand
Council for International Development
Hazara Association of New Zealand
Save The Children New Zealand
Tearfund NZ
United Afghan Association of Canterbury
World Vision New Zealand

One-off emergency tax on billionaires’ pandemic windfalls could fund COVID-19 jabs for entire world

September 6, 2021

A one-off 99 percent levy on billionaires’ wealth gains during the pandemic could pay for everyone on Earth to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide a US$20,000 cash grant to all unemployed workers, according to new analysis released today by Oxfam, the Fight Inequality Alliance, the Institute for Policy Studies and the Patriotic Millionaires. The organisations are calling on governments to tax the ultra-wealthy who profited from the pandemic crisis to help offset its costs.

The one-time emergency COVID-19 billionaire tax would raise US$5.4 trillion and still leave the world’s 2,690 billionaires US$55 billion richer than before the virus struck. Governments across the world are massively under-taxing the wealthiest individuals and big corporations, which is undermining the fight against COVID-19 and poverty and inequality.

The world’s billionaires have a collective net worth of US$13.5 trillion up from US$8 trillion at the beginning of the pandemic, a gain of nearly 69 percent. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos’ wealth increased by US$79.4 billion during the pandemic, rising from US$113 billion in March 2020 to USD$192.4 billion. Billionaire wealth has increased more over the past 17 months than it has in the past 15 years, and 325 new billionaires joined the ‘3-comma club’ since the pandemic began ―equivalent to roughly one new billionaire minted every day.

Less than one percent of people in low-income countries have received a vaccine, while the profits made by Big Pharma has seen the CEOs of Moderna and BioNTech become billionaires. The COVID-19 crisis has pushed over 200 million people into poverty and cost women around the world at least USD$800 billion in lost income in 2020, equivalent to more than the combined GDP of 98 countries. At the same time, 11 people are now dying of hunger and malnutrition each minute, outpacing COVID-19 fatalities.

Morris Pearl, former Managing Director at Blackrock and Chair of the Patriotic Millionaires, said: “The surge in global billionaire wealth as millions of people have lost their lives and livelihoods is a sickness that countries can no longer bear. Rich people getting endlessly richer is not good for anyone. Our economies are choking on this hoarded resource that could be serving a much greater purpose. Billionaires need to cough up that cash ball ―and governments need to make them do it by taxing their wealth.”

Governments have in the past turned to the wealthiest in response to major crises. After World Wars I and II, one-off wealth taxes were levied in European countries and Japan to fund reconstruction. France, for example, taxed excessive wartime wealth gains at a rate of 100 percent after the Second World War. More recently, following the global financial crisis of 2008, countries including Iceland introduced temporary wealth taxes to help refill public coffers.

Policymakers, leading economists, civil society organisations, the UN, IMF and the World Bank are calling for one-time ‘solidarity taxes’ and longer-term wealth taxes targeted at the super-rich to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic and reduce inequalities. In December 2020, debt-saddled Argentina adopted a one-off special levy dubbed the ‘millionaire’s tax’ that has brought in around US$2.4 billion to pay for pandemic recovery.

Dr Jo Spratt, Communications and Advocacy Director of Oxfam Aotearoa said: “Billionaire Jeff Bezos could personally pay for enough vaccines for the whole world and still have more than he did at the start of the pandemic, yet he would rather spend his wealth on a thrill ride to space. COVID-19 is turning the gap between rich and poor into an unbridgeable chasm. The obscene levels of wealth gained from the pandemic by a handful of mega rich individuals should immediately be taxed at 99 percent ―enough to fully vaccinate everyone on Earth and help millions of workers who lost their jobs due to COVID-19. Only with this kind of visionary and progressive policy making will we be able to fight inequality and end poverty.”

The Festival to Fight Inequality, a two-day virtual gathering of thousands of activists from nearly 30 countries, will take place 13-14 August. They will discuss solutions to the worsening global inequality crisis, including taxing the rich.

Njoki Njehu, Pan Africa Coordinator of the Fight Inequality Alliance, said: “With a 99 percent tax on billionaires’ COVID-19 wealth gains, we are calling time on this age of greed. Billionaire wealth is not earned. Billionaires are profiting from working people’s hard graft and pain. It’s their money ’earned’ by your sweat ―and it’s high time that sweat began to pay off. Governments need to tax the rich for us to stand any chance of reversing the inequality crisis we’re in.”

Notes to editor

The cost of vaccinating the world’s adult population was calculated as follows: two doses at US$7 per dose for 5 billion people, for a total of US$70 billion. This is based on the average cost per dose. Oxfam, the Fight Inequality Alliance, the Institute for Policy Studies and the Patriotic Millionaires do not endorse such high prices for vaccines and, as part of The People’s Vaccine Alliance, are campaigning for patent-free access to allow generic manufacturers to produce COVID-19 vaccines to drive down prices.

According to the ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook 2021 Flagship Report, 220 million people are currently unemployed. Of these, 114 million people were made jobless by COVID-19. To give a one-off US$20,000 cash grant to all workers currently unemployed would cost US$4.4 trillion dollars.

Analysis of Forbes’ real-time and annual billionaire lists shows that the world’s billionaires increased their wealth by US$5.5 trillion over the past 17 months, from US$8 trillion on 18 March 2020 to US$13.5 trillion on 31 July 2021. This is more than the US$5.4 trillion billionaires gained over a period of 15 years, from 2006 to 2020. A one-off 99 percent levy on billionaires’ US$5.5 trillion pandemic windfalls would raise US$5.445 trillion.

At least nine people have become new billionaires since the beginning of the pandemic, thanks to the excessive profits pharmaceutical corporations with monopolies on COVID-19 vaccines are making.

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed over 200 million people into poverty, according to estimates by World Bank researchers.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged governments to “consider a solidarity or wealth tax on those who have profited during the pandemic, to reduce extreme inequalities”. The IMF and the World Bank have also called for wealth taxes to help cover the costs of COVID-19.

Argentina has collected 223 billion pesos (around US$2.4 billion) from its one-off pandemic wealth tax.

Oxfam Aotearoa, Amnesty International and ActionStation: More support needed urgently for Afghanistan

September 6, 2021

ActionStation, Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand and Oxfam Aotearoa support the Council of International Development (CID) statement released asking the Government to step up support for Afghanistan communities. The three charities said in a joint statement:

“We whole heartedly support the statement released today by CID. As we understand, Cabinet is meeting imminently to discuss the next steps of the lives of those left behind in Afghanistan and we encourage the Government to make sure they engage with and listen to the Afghan community in New Zealand as they make decisions. We also join CID in their ask to the government.”

CID’s statement asks the New Zealand government to play its part, which includes:

At least double aid to Afghanistan to support local organisations
Increase humanitarian aid for surrounding countries taking in refugees now
Welcome at least 1500 Afghan refugees in this year’s current refugee intake, over and above the current Refugee Resettlement Quota, for those at most immediate risk
Expedite visa processing of both Refugee Family Support Category Visa and Critical Purpose Visas for those with a connection to New Zealand
Support the reunification of families

Last month, Canada committed to taking 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan, the UK committed to 20,000, and Australia 3,000 refugees; however, New Zealand has made no such commitments. More than 18 million people in Afghanistan are now dependent on aid. 600,000 people have fled their homes in the last few weeks.

Recently, Amnesty International, Oxfam Aotearoa and ActionStation handed over a petition to the Minister of Immigration Phil Twyford asking for the safe passage of people in Afghanistan to Aotearoa. The petition gained the support of over 21,000 Kiwis.